PANAJI
Aam Aadmi Party Goa convenor, Rahul Mahambre speaks to Prudent Media on the multiple initiatives launched by AAP in Goa.
Saluting the doctors and the healthcare workers who are working round the clock to save the lives of Goans, Mhambre stressed the need of the civil society to step out and contribute to providing necessary apparatus to the doctors and medical fraternity as the shortage of equipment is felt across the State and the government hospitals.
“It is not a time to think of party politics,” stated Mhambre to Pramod Acharya, editor, Prudent Media while replying to a question. “Irrespective of which party one belongs to, the current crisis has to be resolved on a humanitarian ground, keeping party politics aside,” stated Mhambre. He elaborated on the multiple initiatives that his party started in Goa and how the Helpline they launched is working.
“As the restaurants are closed due to the curfew, the Covid patients and their relatives are facing a food shortage, so our volunteers are providing cooked meals to them across Goa “ in hospitals, at GMC, and the district hospitals at Mapusa and Margao. As the buses are not available, we are also providing transport facilities to those who do not have their own vehicle facility,” stated Mhambre.
The AAP convenor also mentioned that the home isolated patients, who are provided with 400-450 oximeters by the party volunteers. There are around 32,000 active cases in Goa currently and many are home isolated. The AAP helpline has initiated a centre for medi-consultation, that offers medical advice to the patients over the telephone.
“For seeking medical guidance and advice, the patient has to call on 7504750475 between 9 am to 6 pm. The volunteers will be taking the calls and connecting them to the doctors who will then provide medical guidance to the seeker. If the patient wants to seek advice beyond these hours, he has to drop his message on WhatsApp on the very same number (7504750475). The message along with the patient’s phone number will be sent to the doctors on the panel, who will call the patient directly and give advice,” explained Mhambre. The doctors that will provide their advice are from Goa, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. These will be catering to the 2000 hospitalised patients and 30,000 home isolation cases.
The AAP helpline will focus on the assistance factor, irrespective of who is seeking help.
“Those who require ration can call us on our helpline number, and we will connect that number to the person or NGO that provides ration or meals. The person who seeks these will receive it. The home isolated persons will get meals, medicines, groceries, from the NGOs or organisations working in their areas. Our primary job will be to connect people and provide help. Medicines, oximeters, masks or oxygen cylinders also will be provided to whoever needs them,” stated Mhambre.
In this month-long initiative, did he see any changes in the needs or the demands of the common people and is the stress level increasing? Replying to this, Mhambre stated that the demands are growing, especially that of the oximeters, which are vital equipment to check the level of oxygen in the body. “We are coping up with the current situation of demand and supply. Let’s together come out of the situation. We are at the peak level now and hope that we come out safely,” stated Mhambre.
The Covid kits provided to the home isolated patients, have oximeters and thermometers, then why is the need growing? “Many of the kits do not have oximeters, as there is a shortage of oximeters. Sometimes there are no kits available at the government centres. The patient is asked to come after five-six days, but he has to monitor his oxygen level after every two-three hours, so we provide these oximeters to such people to control their condition from becoming critical,” stated Mhambre.
Upon the two urgent things that are required to work on, Mhambre pointed out the shortage of medical apparatus in government hospitals. “There are no manometers, oxygen masks, gloves or oximeters for the doctors to check the patients. It is time for the society to step out and offer help generously, to the frontline warriors who are risking their own lives to save those of others,” appealed the AAP convenor.
